RDI® Promotes Positive Behavior
Positive behavior, signs that your autistic child listens, watches, responds, and eagerly wants to be a part of the learning and growth process is what we encourage with RDI®. Our program is not one of behavior modification, nor are we a textbook program that treats behavior in autism based on age-related standards. We treat behavior as information.
Imagine living in a world that you do not trust. Couple that with living without any sense of self-confidence, without knowing that you can trust yourself through natural life experiences that you have gained in the world. You have no internal belief foundation to rest upon, but, if there is a guiding relationship with a parent in your life, the world takes on a more consistent shape and you begin to make sense out of the environment even when it has variations.
Instead of reacting to the world with rehearsed therapy-driven behavior, you become excited because your brain is now taught to trust and accept your perception. Not only do you learn to trust yourself, you see your parent through a new lens as they guide you, and you think, “I did that, and you helped me do that. I know you will be there when I do this, and we will venture out and do something else.” Your world is no longer unsteady. You no longer must resort to behavior that you didn’t understand to begin with. You can regulate, and your guide helps you learn how to regulate through everyday life interactions. You know you will continue to learn, and you now want to grow.
When we focus on you, the parent, guiding your child and edging off anxiety, fear, and the stunting of growth rather than through forced therapies based on behavior assessment, we allow your child to develop in their own time.
Snapshot of Positive Behavior
Effective autism intervention results in observable changes in positive behavior.
What does positive behavior look like?
You cannot take a picture of a relationship, but you can observe it. Picture your child improving in parent and family interactions—observable positive behavior that we promote! This also takes on the shape of your family enjoying more time together, and with you and your child enjoying the interaction. Your child picks up on this as well and will continue growing.
You cannot take a picture of how your child’s brain processes life, but you can observe it. When you see your child improving in areas of experience-sharing, learning new tasks, and growth-seeking, you are seeing positive behaviors that reflect change and development.
You are the guide that perceives your child as engaging. You promote positive behavior as you guide your child rather than buffer your child from the world. Buffering your child from the world influences problematic “autism behavior,” as it prevents your child from learning and experiencing everyday life.
The best motivator is competence. Before you took on the role of the guide, your autistic child might not have understood what it meant when you tossed a ball in their direction. They might have been unable to process the next step, which either led them to ignore the ball or to walk away. They have now learned to pick up the ball (they may still not catch it) and they toss it back to you. They are driven by not only tossing the ball back to you, but they want to play and seek out the next steps. Your child displays positive behavior through their new-found ability and blossoming drive to continue and learn.
Change Your Focus
When you focus on the prevention of undesirable behavior in your child compared to guiding your child in a process that promotes positive behavior and growth-seeking, your child may experience roadblocks in their development.
Go easy on yourself, you may experience setbacks, but as you gain confidence in your role as a guiding parent, and your child sees that they are a vital part of the learning process, you not only witness the development of your child, but you promote positive behavior.
Are You Looking for More?
Are you looking for more?
The RDI® online learning community gives you the resources for growth.
To help your family, we are throwing open our doors and are making our resources available to you for only $5 a month through July 31st, 2020. Sign up for the RDI®️️ Learning Community
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